1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a terminal strip for use in electrically connecting a loudspeaker to an amplifier and, more particularly, to a loudspeaker terminal strip that is adapted to be mounted in the wall of a speaker cabinet or housing by a press fitting technique.
2. Description of the Background
With the advent of component stereo systems that utilize separate, individually arranged loudspeakers has come the requirement to easily make the necessary electrical connection between the remotely located loudspeakers and the amplifier or receiver. Such connections are generally made to special terminals arranged in the rear or side wall of the loudspeaker cabinet, and these terminals must be sealed relative to such wall, because in most loudspeakers the integrity of the speaker enclosure is important.
Thus, it is known to provide a loudspeaker terminal strip generally formed as a cup-shaped, plastic housing that fits in a corresponding aperture that is cut into the rear wall of the speaker cabinet. Generally, such loudspeaker terminals are push-button type terminals that can be actuated by finger pressure, in which the speaker wire is inserted into an aperture that is opened by such finger pressure, with the pressure then released to make the necessary electrical contact. Screw-type or five-way binding posts may alternately be employed in the same cup-shaped plastic housing. One way of attaching the terminal strip to the speaker cabinet, once the aperture has been formed therein, is simply to use wood screws to attach the loudspeaker terminal strip to the wooden speaker cabinet. Another way of attaching the terminal strip that has become increasingly popular is to make the diameter of the hole formed in the loudspeaker cabinet rear wall approximately the same as the outside diameter of the cup-shaped terminal strip, so that the two may be press fit together without requiring separate fasteners. While this approach has eliminated some assembly steps, it has also presented problems, because in order to obtain a proper press fit, the axial alignment of the cup-shaped loudspeaker terminal strip and the hole formed in the cabinet is required to be quite accurate, so that binding does not occur. Additionally, although generally one portion of the loudspeaker terminal strip is round or cup-shaped, it has a square rim or flange and the radial alignment of the entire terminal strip is critical from an esthetics viewpoint, thereby calling for additional set-up fixtures during the assembly process.